IRFN (May 8-19): Malaysian Convert Allowed to Return to Buddhism
May 21, 2008
1. Malyasia: Convert Allowed to Return to Buddhism
2. Transdniester: Religious Restrictions Continue
3. Zimbabwe: Clashes between Anglicans and Police Intensify
4. Azerbaijan: Freedom a Mixed Blessing for Conscientious Objector
5. Iran: Bahá'í Leaders Arrested
6. Tajikistan: Only Synagogue Scheduled for Demolition
7. Czechoslovakia: Anti-Discrimination Bill Vetoed by President
8. Afghanistan: Student on Death Row Denies Insulting Islam
9. Bosnia and Herzegovina: New Religious Education Proposal
10. Denmark: Bans Religious Symbols from Courtrooms
Features: A citizen's perspective on the current religious climate in Turkmenistan, from Forum 18.
An overview of religion in China, with useful links to background information, from the Council on Foreign Relations.
Updates: The debate on religious education continues in the Ugandan legislature; New Vision carries the story. On May 13, the debate over religious education ended when Ugandan Parliament passed the 2007 Education Bill, which recommends religious education in schools, but does not make it compulsory. CISA and New Vision report.
According to a story published by IANS, the Malaysian government plans to challenge last week's ruling in which a Shari'a Court in Penang granted Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah to return to Buddhism from Islam.
1. Malaysia: Convert Allowed to Return to Buddhism
PENANG - A Shari'a Court in Malaysia's Penang state handed down a landmark decision when it allowed Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah, a convert to Islam, to return to Buddhism the Associated Press reported on May 8. Siti, who had converted to Islam in order to marry a Muslim man, filed a request to change her religious identity in 2006, after her husband left her. Siti's case was taken up after she had completed compulsory religious counseling "to ensure she truly understood Islam". Malaysia does not usually allow those that state considers Muslim to convert out of Islam or re-convert to another religion.
2. Transdniester: Religious Restrictions Continue
TIRASPOL - Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Bessarabian Orthodox Church all face significant hurdles to free religious practice in Transdniester, Forum 18 reported on May 8. Amid rumors that the unrecognized breakaway republic plans to create a restrictive Religion Law and "National Security Concept" which would affect religious communities, certain congregations suffer from repeated harassment. In addition, a Pentecostal community in the capital of Tiraspol continues to be banned from worshipping in its own church
3. Zimbabwe: Clashes between Anglicans and Police Intensify
HARARE - State-sponsored persecution of certain Anglicans has worsened in Zimbabwe, as police in the capital of Harare interrupted religious services over the weekend and beat up worshippers SW Radio Africa reported on May 12. The recently-ousted Bishop Nolbert Kunonga has alleged that his replacement, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, is an opponent of Robert Mugabe and a recipient of British funds, giving the police a reason to crack down on supporters of the new bishop. As bishop, Kunonga, a Mugabe supporter, reportedly threatened priests who held opposing political views. He appears to retain some support among state security forces, whom he uses to intimidate parishioners he feels have deserted him. The BBC explains the history of the conflict.
4. Azerbaijan: Freedom a Mixed Blessing for Conscientious Objector
DALMAMEDLI - Azerbaijan's prisoners of conscience face difficulties even after they are released from prison, as having a criminal record makes it difficult for them to successfully re-integrate into society Forum 18 reported on May 14. Samir Huseynov, recently released from a Baku penal colony, explained that employers will be unwilling to trust him until the state clears his criminal record. Huseynov, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for refusing duty in the armed forced due to his religious beliefs, a sentence he asserts the state had "one hundred percent no right" to impose. Military service is compulsory in Azerbaijan; contrary to its obligations to the Council of Europe, the country has yet to develop an alternative service option.
5. Iran: Bahá'í Leaders Arrested
TEHRAN - On May 14, officials arrested six Bahá'í leaders in early morning raids in Tehran, BBC NEWS reported on May 19. All six were members of a national council that sees to the needs of Iran's 300,000 Bahá'ís; the council's seventh senior member was arrested in Mashhad in March. The members of the council are currently being held at Tehran's Evin prison, though charges against them have not been publicized. The Bahai International Community claims that hundreds of their members have been either jailed or executed since Iran's 1979 revolution.
6. Tajikistan: Only Synagogue Scheduled for Demolition
DUSHANBE - Tajikistan's only synagogue is set for demolition later this month, Forum 18 reported on May 15. The building has been under threat since February 2006, due to "reconstruction" in the capital of Dushanbe. Courts have refused to accept evidence that the building belongs to Tajikistan's Jewish community; after repeated attempts to save the building, the only concession the court gave to Rabbi Mikhail Abdurakhmanov was that the community could demolish the synagogue themselves "if it wanted to save the materials". The community of 350 was ordered to leave the synagogue on May 18; if the demolition goes forward, the community will have nowhere else to go.
7. Czechoslovakia: Anti-Discrimination Bill Vetoed by President
PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Klaus has vetoed an anti-discrimination bill designed to ensure more equal access to social services, education and employment Ceske Noviny reported on May 16. All EU member states must implement legislation which would make discrimination on the basis of a number of categories, including religious affiliation or belief, illegal; the Czech Republic is the only member country not to have passed such legislation. Klaus opined that the bill was "unnecessary, counter-productive and of a poor quality", though at least one political party has said that sufficient anti-discrimination measures are currently lacking in the country (article). The bill will return to the Chamber of Deputies.
8. Afghanistan: Student on Death Row Denies Insulting Islam
KABUL - Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh, a 24-year-old journalism student from Mazar-i-Sharif, appeared in court Sunday to deny charges of insulting Islam, for which he faces the death penalty the Associated Press reported on May 18. Kambakhsh is alleged to have raised questions about women's rights in Islam during his classes at Balkh University, and to have distributed an article on the subject which included three paragraphs of personal opinion. Kambakhsh claims that the accusations arose from "private hostilities" on the part of his fellow students, and that he was tortured into confessing by intelligence services; at his initial hearing on January 22, he was not allowed a lawyer and given only three minutes to speak in his own defense.
9. Bosnia and Herzegovina: New Religious Education Proposal
SARAJEVO - Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Education has recently put forward a plan that would segregate kindergarteners into Islamic and non-Islamic classes, the Southeast European Times reported on May 19. Authorities have proposed introducing religion classes into the curriculum as early as kindergarten. The Ministry has based the proposal on a model which already exists in the country's universities – where religious instruction is a voluntary option. The debate over the proposal is being supervised by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
10. Denmark: Bans Religious Symbols from Courtrooms
COPENHAGEN - Denmark has announced that it will ban religious symbols in its courtrooms, the BBC reported on May 19. Though the ban will affect several different religious groups - headscarves, skull caps, turbans and crucifixes will all be prohibited – it is still seen as being directed at Muslim judges. Opinion on the ban is divided; in a recent poll, 51% of the respondents supported banning religious symbols from courtrooms, while the ban has been described as alternately "necessary" and "absurd" by Danish politicians. The ban was promoted by the Danish People's Party (DPP), which has described Islam in Denmark as "practiced in a way which gives the Danish society problems". The DPP plans to push for a ban on headscarves for teachers and medical personnel as well.